Down and Out

Hey stranger, will you help me 
I’m begging of you please 
My world has been turned upside down 
And now I’m on my knees. 

The job I held has disappeared 
The wife I had is gone 
The child whose hair I ruffled
no longer hears my song 

My cosy hearth a memory now.
The comfort of my home 
replaced  by rotting garbage, 
and a makeshift bed of stone 

Don’t pass me by like that sir 
Just some pennies or a pound 
Would buy some comfort for me 
While you are homeward bound 

I was once a knight in armour 
Desirable and clean 
Not just a heap of rag and bones 
That you can pass unseen

Please kindly sir, please help me
My life is now so bleak 
My mind is not so good now,
my body oh so weak

The content of this bottle
is now my only friend 
it warms the hollows of my heart 
I know will never mend 

Just stop and spend a moment 
A chat would be so good 
To have a conversation 
like normal people would 

I don’t know about the football 
The tv, or the news 
But perhaps my horror story 
will help you change your views 

I didn’t mean to be here 
It’s really not my choice 
But when you’re broke and lonely 
That’s when you lose your voice 

No-one will listen to you 
Your pleas on deaf ears land 
Your past is unimportant 
You’re just a homeless man 

Oh stranger won’t you help me 
I’m begging of you please 
My life has been turned upside down 
And now I’m on my knees.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2014

Poem

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Walker  Avatar
June 30, 2014 at 10:34 PM
Beautiful insight into homelessness Kaye. Enjoyed... Verlena
Locke Avatar
July 1, 2014 at 4:45 AM
Thanks so much for taking the trouble to comment Verlena.
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